Christmas Salad with de Puy Lentils, Beetroot, Walnut and Feta
Note: can be vegan without the feta cheese
For me there is nothing more delightful to see and savour on the table than a well thought out salad. A delicious substantial salad that is not an afterthought and can stand up on its own as a complete meal (which is handy for those of you are catering for vegan and vegetarians). This recipe is more about the how to rather than a step by step recipe.
When I have to cater for a crowd, I like to have a ‘base’ salad that is vegan, nut and dairy free, and I will serve on a separate plate the dairy or nut ingredients for those of you who like to have the jazzed up version. I also serve one to three alternative dressings on the side so everyone can choose and add his/her own. Trust me, this way I always manage to please everyone.
So the base of this salad is salad greens such as rockets, radicchio and few sprigs of herbs such as basil, parsley, dill, and fennel fronds. To make this salad substantial, I choose chilled cooked and sprouted de Puy Lentils (you can choose chickpeas or other lentils) and roasted beetroot (cubed).
For dairy side-ons, I like marinated (soft style) goat fetta or bufallo mozzarella, but remember once you add this to the main salad the dark red beetroot colour will bleed into the white colour of the cheese.
I always like different textures in my salad, so for crunch, I add activated and roasted (or dehydrated if you prefer) walnuts and pomegranate seeds but you can choose other nuts if you prefer.
Below are the two salad dressing recipes, one vegan and one dairy.
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